THURSDAY, JULY 11
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
BOSTON BOMBER APPEARS IN COURT
The surviving Boston Marathon bomber yesterday made his first public appearance in court since being taken into custody. Under tight security, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, arrived at a federal courthouse in Boston for a probable cause hearing. He wore an orange jail jumpsuit and his left hand was bandaged as he pleaded not guilty to the charges. His court appearance was the first time some of the marathon survivors and the families of the victims were able to face their alleged attacker. Dzhokhar has been charged in a 30-count indictment for allegedly plotting and carrying out the April 15th bombing with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The dual blasts killed three and injured more than 260 others. Prosecutors said the pair also murdered an MIT police officer while on the run. Tamerlan was killed in a shootout with police three days after the bombing. Dzhokhar was later found injured and hiding in a boat in a Boston suburb.
DEATH TOLL IN QUEBEC TRAIN DISASTER RISES TO 20
Police in Quebec said yesterday that the body count from a runaway oil tanker train explosion has risen to 20, with 30 people still missing and presumed dead. The train derailed and exploded in the town of Lac-MeganticSaturday morning, destroying around 40 buildings in the historic downtown area. The victims have yet to be identified. Investigators were still sifting for clues among the burned-out wreckage. Police were probing whether the disaster involved foul play or criminal negligence and they were treating the area as a crime scene. The deadly accident could turn out to be North America’s worst railway disaster since 1989. (In 1989, a train fell from a bridge in northwestern Mexico, killing 112 people and injuring 200.)
JUDGE WON’T ALLOW ANIMATION, TEXT MESSAGES IN ZIMMERMAN TRIAL
A Florida judge ruled yesterday that an animation depicting the fatal confrontation between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman cannot be submitted as evidence. Judge Debra Nelson also declared text messages from Martin’s phone inadmissible. She did say, however, that the animation, which was commissioned by the defense, can be used in closing arguments. Prosecutors argued that the animation, which once showed Martin punching Zimmerman but now excludes the punches, would be misleading for jurors to see. The defense wanted it to be shown, and brought in the animation artist to explain to the judge how he recreates events. Jurors were not in the courtroom during the hearing. Zimmerman is facing second-degree murder charges in 17-year-old Martin’s death. He has pleaded not guilty.
TEXAS HOUSE PASSES RESTRICTIVE ABORTION BILL
The Texas House passed a controversial bill yesterday that will place new restrictions on abortions. The Republican legislation would require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allow abortions in surgical centers, dictate when abortion pills are taken and ban abortions after 20 weeks. The measure now goes to the Senate for approval. Last month, the passage of an identical bill was halted in the Senate after a 13-hour filibuster by Democrat Sen. Wendy Davis. Gov. Rick Perry and top Republican leaders have made it their mission to get the bill passed ahead of 2014 elections, but Democrats and women's rights activists have protested the bill for weeks.
SENATE FAILS TO PASS BILL TO LOWER STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES
The Senate yesterday failed to advance a bill to lower interest rates on federal student loans for another year. Last week, interest rates on federal student loans doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. The measure taken up yesterday would have returned rates on newly-issued loans back to 3.4 percent for one more year. But the Senate came up short on the 60 votes needed to proceed with the bill. While both Democrats and Republicans are in favor of lower rates, they disagree over whether or not to tie the interest rates to financial markets. If they can’t hash out a compromise, the raised rates will affect the seven million people who will take out a student loan this year.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
HASSELBECK SAYS GOODBYE
As expected, Elisabeth Hasselbeck said her goodbyes on The View yesterday. "Thanks for everyone who's been out there watching. I wasn't the first person to sit in this chair and I will certainly not be the last person here," she said. "The last 10 years have been nothing short of extraordinary and I wholeheartedly wish the next person or cohost that sits here an extraordinary set of years to come of their own." Hasselbeck is leaving the show to replace Gretchen Carlsonon Fox & Friends.
BIEBER CAUGHT PEEING IN BUCKET
Justin Bieber’s bad behavior doesn’t seem to be letting up. TMZ posted video of the 19-year-old [NOTE CONTENT] peeing into a restaurant mop bucket and laughing. The incident reportedly took place in New York earlier this year as Justin and his friends were leaving a nightclub through a restaurant kitchen. In the same video, Justin is seen spraying cleaning liquid on a photo of Bill Clinton, and exclaiming “F*** Bill Clinton.” Bieber apparently reached out to Clinton after the story hit the internet, because yesterday he tweeted, “@billclinton thanks for taking the time to talk Mr. President. Your words meant alot. #greatguy.”
In other Bieber news…for some reason the internet is up in arms over photos of the “Baby” singer touching the Stanley Cup. “Who the hell let Bieber touch the Stanley Cup? #whyyy #contaminated," tweeted one Blackhawks fan, while another added, “Justin Bieber got to touch the Stanley Cup. Disgrace to the game, to Chicago, and to humanity in general."
WHITNEY’S DAUGHTER ENGAGED
Whitney Houston’s daughter is engaged. Twenty-year-old Bobbi Kristina announced on Facebook that she is going to marry Nick Gordon, who some have suggested was like a brother to her growing up, something she vehemently denies. “Yes, me and Nick are engaged. I'm tired of hearing people say, 'Eww you're engaged to your brother' or 'If Whitney was still alive, would we be together or would she approve of this?'" she wrote. "Let me clear up something, we aren't even real brother and sister, nor is he my adoptive brother. My mom never adopted him. In fact, mommy was the one who even said that she knew that we were going to start dating." She added, "People need to seriously stop judging my relationship. Pretty sure it's my own decision who I want to be with…The decisions I make have nothing to do with you. Goodnight."
KHLOE KICKED LAMAR OUT FOR AFFAIR WITH STRIPPER
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom seem to have the most stable relationship of the Kardashian clan, but apparently that’s hit a snag. Star magazine claims Khloe kicked Lamar out of the house earlier this year after discovering he had a year-long affair with a stripper. The tab says Lamar met 29-year-old Jennifer Richardson at the Stadium Club in Washington, DC in January 2012. The couple then carried on a year-long fling and got together whenever Lamar was traveling with his team. This past January Khloe had had enough and kicked Lamar out, but he just flew to meet Jennifer and stayed with her for a week. Khloe eventually took Lamar back, but he didn’t end the affair, and Jennifer often accompanied him on the road. A rep for Khloe has denied Star magazine’s story.
CLOONEY & KEIBLER’S PHONE CALL BREAKUP
After two years of dating, George Clooney and Stacy Keibler’s relationship reportedly ended with a phone call. According to TMZ, the pair had been growing apart for months, and with George in Europe and Stacy in L.A., the two agreed to go their separate ways via the phone. “Both sides realized there was no way to have a relationship when you don’t see each other,” claims a source. Meanwhile, other insiders tell Us Weekly the long distance really put a strain on their relationship. “They hadn’t had sex in months,” said an insider. “And they haven't seen each other in a long time. Some girls would be okay with that and just be happy dating George, but not her."
LINDSAY’S DIRECTOR COMPARES HER TO MONROE
In the new issue of Film Comment magazine, Lindsay Lohan’s The Canyons director Paul Schrader compares the 27-year-old trainwreck to her favorite actress, Marilyn Monroe. “I think Lohan has more natural acting talent than Monroe did, but, like Monroe, her weakness is her inability to fake it. She feels she must be experiencing an emotion in order to play it,” he explained. “This leads to all sorts of emotional turmoil, not to mention on-set delays and melodrama. It also leads, when the gods smile, to movie magic.” Schrader adds that Marilyn had two things going for her that Lindsay didn’t – a “culture that mandated public responsibility,” as well as a studio system that influenced the media to protect its stars. Click here for the new trailer for The Canyons.
LOHAN URGED TO EXTEND REHAB
In other Lindsay Lohan news…Radaronline reports that counselors at her current rehab center, Cliffside in Malibu, think the Mean Girls star needs to extend her rehab stay by 30 days. But sources tell the site Lindsay has been telling friends she won’t be staying in rehab a minute longer than the court requires her to. “Lindsay has been doing so well at Cliffside. She is responding very, very well to treatment,” a source told Radar. “The treatment team wants Lindsay to stay for at least another 30 days, because she didn’t do her entire 90 days at Cliffside. Someone with her addiction and psychiatric issues needs extensive treatment and 90 days just isn’t enough.”
PICS CATCH DENZEL CHEATING?
Denzel Washington has been married to his wife Pauletta for 30 years but it sounds like he may not have been faithful for all of it. Radaronline reports that someone is shopping photos to media outlets in which the Flight star is seen kissing another woman. This isn’t the first time Denzel has been the subject of infidelity rumors. Back in 2003 there were claims he had an affair with his Out of Time co-star Sanaa Lathan, but they were denied.
FRANCO TO BE ROASTED
James Franco announced yesterday he will be the next star roasted by Comedy Central. “Hey y’all, what’s up?” Franco announced in a video on Instagram. “I’m gonna get roasted on Comedy Central. Be sure to check it out. They wanted me to tell you that — alright, hahaha.” Comedy Central Roast of James Franco will tape next month and premiere on Labor Day.
J.LO GOES BACK TO THE BRONX
Jennifer Lopez went back to her old neighborhood in the Bronx for W magazine, but it wasn’t all happy memories. In fact, as she passed the two-story home she grew up in, J. Lo refused to go in. "The last time I was in there was when my mom and dad called us home to tell us that they were separating after 33 years of marriage," she reveals. "I think that's why I was nervous about coming here today. It's like seeing someone from the past — you're afraid to run into them because you never know if it's going to be 'wow' or very difficult. This is a combination of both." J.Lo now lives in Los Angeles, but says she didn’t always love being on the west coast. "I hated L.A.," she admits. "I was asking, 'Where's the store for milk? Don't you guys walk on the street?' Now I love Los Angeles, but it doesn't give me strength the way the Bronx did. All the strength that I needed for life, I got from that neighborhood."
PROJECT RUNWAY AD BANNED
An ad for the upcoming season of Project Runway has been banned from billboards in Los Angeles. The photo features Heidi Klum in a Victorian wig and enormous gown, with mentor Tim Gunn holding a scepter, topped with a sewing needle. The issue is that the two stars are surrounded by several nude models looking up at them. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety rejected the sign because it contained “obscene matters.” The new season of Project Runway premieres July 18th on Lifetime.
WILDE PICKS WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER
Olivia Wilde’s wedding plans are in full swing. The actress is engaged to former SNL comedian Jason Sudeikis, and she tells In Style that she’s already picked a designer for her and her bridesmaids’ wedding attire. Wilde, who was previously married to Tao Ruspoli, says that Monique Lhuillier will design not only her dress, but her wedding party’s gowns. She says rather than “that tortured tradition of forcing them to wear a ridiculous dress they’ll never wear again, they’ll have a real creation tailored for each of them.” She adds, “They can dye it black or purple and wear it forever.” Yeah, that’s what all brides think.
TV TIDBITS
● CBS announced yesterday that Cote de Pablo will not be returning as a series regular for the 11th season of NCIS. Cote, who plays Ziva David, is expected to be back long enough to wrap up her storyline. “I’ve had eight great years with NCIS and Ziva David,” she said in a statement. “I have huge respect and affection for Mark [Harmon], Gary [Glasberg], Michael [Weatherly], David [McCallum], Rocky [Carroll], Pauley [Perrette], Brian [Dietzen], Sean [Murray], all of the team and CBS. I look forward to finishing Ziva’s story.”
● Lord of the Rings’ Sean Astin will star in Carlton Cuse’s FX drama pilot The Strain, about a vampire virus that infects New York City and the CDC doctor (Corey Stoll) who investigates the case. Astin will play Jim Kent, a political operative who is friends with the doctor.
● Ryan Seacrest is apparently not busy enough. The American Idol host is close to a deal to host NBC’s new game show Million Second Quiz, which is being billed as a 24-hour live competition series. The show will take place over 12 days and 12 nights, and will have contestants battling each other in a test of not only their knowledge, but their endurance.
ROCK NEWS:
MUMFORD & SONS CONSIDERED CANCELLING GLASTONBURY
Mumford and Sons say they almost cancelled their recent Glastonbury gig in order to give bassist Ted Dwane more time to recover from brain surgery. "Everything was on the cards and everything is less important than Ted so we were ready to cancel the rest of the summer, definitely,” frontman Marcus Mumford told NME. “And we wouldn't play a gig without him – it's four of us, or it's none of us. Ted wanted to play the day he got out! The three of us had to sit down and be like, 'Dude, it's alright, let's just can these. Go and sleep!'" But the band did play and thanks to their performance their release Babel climbed 15 places to return to number one in the UK.
JACK WHITE WORKING ON LOTS OF NEW MATERIAL
Sounds like we may be hearing a lot of new music from Jack White. The rocker tells Rolling Stonehe has recorded new material with his two side bands, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. "We all live in Nashville now. All The Raconteurs and all The Dead Weather live in Nashville now, so we often go on trips together, because we're all just good pals,” he said. “We've recorded some things, too. And Brendan (Benson) and The Raconteurs just built a new studio right in town, so it's a lot of great inspiration going around." White is also working on a follow-up to his solo debutBlunderbuss. "I've got about 20 to 25 tracks I'm working on right now," he said. "A lot of songs. So it's a good time for writing for me.”
MORE ACTS JOIN ITUNES FEST
The Pixies, Arctic Monkeys, Sir Elton John and Robin Thicke are the latest artists signed up for the Apple iTunes Festival, taking place at The Roundhouse in London in September. The free concert series (tickets are given out by lottery) will include more than 60 acts, with shows taking place every night from September 1st -30th. Other artists participating include Kings of Leon, Queens of the Stone Age, Paramore and Vampire Weekend.
MORRISSEY RECEIVES SETTLEMENT OVER TV AD
Morrissey has settled a lawsuit over the use of a Smiths song in an ad for a UK food show. UK’s Channel 4 paid the singer $14,800 for using The Smiths tune “Please, Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” to advertise Gordon Ramsay’s “Christmas Cookalong Live. Morrissey, a vegetarian and animal activist, donated the settlement to PETA for their campaign to fight foie gras, which is produced by force-feeding ducks and extracting their livers. The process is illegal in Britain.
ALICE IN CHAINS SET UK TOUR
Alice in Chains have announced a UK tour that will kick off November 9th in London. The trek is in support of the band’s second album with new singer William DuVall, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, which was released in May.
SLIPKNOT FRONTMAN ROBBED
The home of Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor was robbed, with the thief taking off with more than $36,000 worth of musical equipment. According to a police report filed in West Des Moines, Taylor and his wife returned home from a European tour to find that a friend had stolen the equipment, including two bass guitars that belonged to the late Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, who died in 2010 from a drug overdose. Some of the equipment has since been recovered, and so far no charges have been brought against any suspect.
NEW FOUND GLORY RELEASING LIVE ALBUM
New Found Glory will release their very first live album on October 8th. Kill It Live will feature 17 tracks recorded during the band’s two sold-out concerts in Anaheim, California in March. It will also feature three news songs, which are being teased as “a taste of what’s to come from the band very soon.”
